Insurers and hospitals jump on board with wellness programs

January 12th, 2015

My insurance company, Humana, has a wellness program that lets me rack up points for completing a health assessment and doing healthy activities such as working out. I can use the points for gift cards, movie tickets, workout clothes, and other items. The plan works. I’ve already jumped in with both feet by completing the health assessment and getting a flu shot.

Insurers aren’t the only ones focusing on wellness. Consider these examples of wellness promotions shared by the American Hospital Association:

• During Binational Health Week, Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae, CA, held 10 health events and fairs that targeted the low-income Latino population. They estimate that 10,000 persons in this at-risk community were provided no-cost flu vaccines along with other information related to their health. Legal and immigration resources also were provided.

• H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, FL, has reached 10,000 medically underserved men (uninsured, underinsured, or don’t have a regular provider) in the last 11 years with an annual community health promotion that offers health screenings, education, and resources in English and Spanish. When men are identified with adverse outcomes, they are directed to the appropriate healthcare facility.

• The Christian Hospital Diabetes Institute in St. Louis, MO, provides more than 5,000 free diabetes screenings each year at businesses, churches, and civic groups. The institute helps patients address their diabetes diagnosis with trained clinicians and dietitians who teach patients about eating healthy, exercising, and taking medicines correctly.

• Sarasota (FL) Memorial Hospital has a School Health Program for elementary, middle, and high schools. The program addresses nutrition, hygiene, stress management, self-esteem, and sports safety.

• The Little Rock, AK-based Baptist Health has a Community Wellness Center program for medically underserved individuals. The wellness centers form community-based partnerships with churches to offer health education, care coordination, immunizations, community referrals, and screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

You can spend money on the front end to keep people well, or pay it on the back end as they end up in your emergency department or, worse, as inpatients because their health deteriorated with no resources to access healthcare. Wellness programs are a wise choice. Jump right in!